Gulfport partygoers planned to fire guns to ring in 2022, police said. 4 people died instead.
A deadly mass shooting in west Gulfport started shortly after partygoers pulled out their weapons to fire them simultaneously at the stroke of midnight to ring in the New Year, a Gulfport police officer said in court.
But the shooting started minutes before that, Det. Joe Prine said, when two men, identified as Corey Dubose, 23, and Aubrey Lewis, 22, got into an argument and shot one another after Dubose “took a cheap shot” and punched Lewis.
Others in the crowd began firing after the first shots rang out, mostly using 9 mm handguns and AR-15 assault rifles, Prine said.
The mass shooting took place at a residence on Lewis Avenue in west Gulfport, where over 100 people had gathered to celebrate the end of 2021.
Prine testified Wednesday in a preliminary hearing for Mario Clark, one of the six people arrested in the shooting that left four people dead and three others injured.
Clark is being held at the Harrison County jail on one count of second-degree murder and two counts of shooting into a dwelling.
During the testimony, Prine said Clark was one of several men seen shooting in the direction of one of the homicide victims, identified as 52-year-old Nathaniel Harris.
Harris was not armed, Prine said, and was standing on the street between two homes on Lewis Street when witnesses reported seeing Clark firing a rifle at Harris.
Clark’s brother, Vincent Jaquan Armstrong, 18, is also being held on the same charges for allegedly shooting Harris and firing shots that struck two homes on Lewis Street.
Clark and Armstrong’s father declined to comment during Wednesday’s hearing.
Others arrested in the shootings are:
- Latavion Lavon Bland, 20, arrested on one count each of second-degree murder and shooting into a dwelling and three counts of aggravated assault.
- Khalid Williams, 26, arrested on one count each of second-degree murder, two counts of shooting into a dwelling and one count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
- Isavian O’Terry Rayshun Preston, 23, arrested on charges of fire-degree murder and second-degree murder.
- Breanna Necole Riley, 23, arrested on charges of hindering prosecution or apprehension of another for conduct constructing a felony.
After the hearing, Justice Court Judge Nick Patano determined there was enough evidence to bound the case over to a grand jury for indictments. He ordered Clark held without bond on the murder charge.
In addition to Harris, Dubose, Lewis, and Sedrick McCord, 28, died in the shooting.
In the days after the killings, Gulfport police Chief Chris Ryle said investigators had discovered gang-related ties between those involved, but no other details have since been released.
The gathering swelled to over a 100 people after a woman — who has since been arrested on a charge of possession of a weapon by a convicted felon — posted a flier about the party on social media.
Clark’s defense attorney, Donald Rafferty, identified the woman who shared the flier about the party, and Prine confirmed her identity.
Prine did not identify any witnesses by name at Wednesday’s hearing.
Rafferty argued the judge should allow Prine to identify witnesses by name at Clark’s preliminary hearing, saying he could not properly defend his client otherwise.
Harrison County prosecuting attorney, Herman Cox, however, successfully argued that the names of the witnesses should remain confidential because they already fear “retaliation” for speaking with police officers. He did not object to the police officer saying where the witnesses were standing at the time of the shootings.
So far, Prine said, none of those accused in the shootings have cooperated with authorities.
Those attending the party mostly lived in different parts of Gulfport, primarily in the Gaston Point and Soria City communities, or in nearby cities, including Bay St. Louis in Hancock County.
The investigation is continuing.
To report information, call the Gulfport Police Department at 228-868-5959 or Mississippi Coast CrimeStoppers at 877-787-5898.
This story was originally published February 3, 2022 at 2:00 PM.
